A Good Break Area is Vital for Happy Employees

Every business loves a hard working employee that is enthusiastic when coming in to work every day. Having a good break room is a business’ way of saying “thank you” to the staff that dedicate themselves to their job.

Creating such a room within the office can steadily increase moral and send productivity through the roof. A recent American study conducted at a call centre concluded that when 50% of workers took regular breaks, their productivity increased by a third.

Many office staff tend to communicate via email or on other digital means, but reintroducing that face to face communication with a break room is the perfect way to align your staff and ensure that there is a good atmosphere at work.

The Social Element

A team that socialises together will ultimately work together better overall. Creating that trust and friendship amongst staff is not always easy, but it will pay off in the long run. Installing a fun break room is a good way to boost staff morale.

It gives staff the chance to get to know each other in a different capacity, away from the stressful atmosphere of a work background. Once colleagues have the opportunity to become friendly in this way, work relations will improve and general teamwork productivity should increase. In fact, studies have shown that socialising and relaxing at break time will increase vigour within workers for the rest of their post-lunch day.

If a business is hiring the right type of employees, then occasionally they will feel pressure with regards to their work. In order to help keep stress levels at a minimum, sometimes it helps to unwind with a cup of tea and completely remove themselves from the office. That is why the break room is so important, it gives a place to relax without the strain of the everyday work environment.

When eating lunch at a desk the temptation is there to “just finish off a few bits of work”. This can in fact have a detrimental effect on quality due to fatigue. So, step away from the keyboard and just take the entitled break. Switching off for just half an hour will actually increase the productivity within the workplace.

Some companies do go all out when it comes to break room concepts. With video games, spa treatments and plants all becoming a regular feature in many modern break rooms, the proof is there. Helping staff to chill out and meditate, or just to take their mind off work stress with a quick game on the Xbox, can have extremely beneficial results when it comes to pro-activity.

Nathan Goodman is a freelance fiction writer and the bestselling author of The Special Agent Jana Baker Spy-Thriller Series. "A terrorist on the loose, a country in panic, and time is running out..." For a free copy visit the author's website.